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Thread: New boat trailer build
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15th April 2008, 04:19 PM #1Intermediate Member
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New boat trailer build
I’m building a boat trailer for my new sport fishing alloy boat which I have almost completed. I can see why some charge what they do, its dam hard work. Anyway, my boat is a 7.3 meter centre console. It’s made from 5083 H116 alloy construction. The boat will in at around 1500kg as a hull with engine and full of fuel. For the trailer, I have gone with main chassis rails of 158mm by 50mm by 3mm rolled steel. My mate who supplied me with this steel uses the same rail in his production car carriers and bob cat trailers. The cross members are 50 by 65 by 4 mm wall RHS. I have cut and welded the cross members as you can see, in one or two of the photos you may have noticed some gaps, the cross members are the same length its just the side rail which has a bit of a kick out in it. I can almost pull this in by hand so I’m not worried.
I have to cut the angles at the front where the chassis will meet the draw bar. I’m going to put heaps of reinforcing around this area. This is the first trailer I have ever built, I’m thinking maybe a I bitten off a bit more than I can chew but then again if I go slow and make sure every thing is over built and true I should be ok……god help me. I figure if I keep progress reports going every day or two on this forum I should be pretty much ok. The boat I built myself and I’m hoping the trailer shouldn’t be much harder. Please, if you see some thing im doing wrong or about to, please scream at me.
Stu
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15th April 2008 04:19 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
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16th April 2008, 08:49 AM #2
Hi Stu,
Sorry I can't help with advice regarding the boat trailer. I have built a few trailers, but never one for a marine craft.
Good on you for giving it a go though. You may be able to pull the side rails in with a rope or strap while you weld it up.
The boat looks good. Where did you get the design? I was intending to build one like that many years ago. I was looking at getting all the ally supplied cut from a mob in WA. The cost of it put me off though.
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16th April 2008, 11:56 AM #3Intermediate Member
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The boat sis a custom design the naval architect and Myself put together. Adam Schwetz is the guy who designs not only small boats but also ships and masive passenger ferries. The alloy is in fact cheaper to by like this than one sheet at a time of in bitz and peices. My alloy come in at 1200kg with a bit of waste. It works out around 40% cheaper to build it yourself than to buy it off the shelf so to speak.
Stu
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17th April 2008, 12:38 PM #4New Member
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Hi Stufart
Your project looks great. What sort of welder do you use to weld aluminium with?. Thanks
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17th April 2008, 04:24 PM #5Intermediate Member
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The welder is a Uni mig 270, which has so far been very good, "touch wood". I have heard some people bag them but I personly havent heard of anyone that owns a Uni Mig that has problams. I would love to get a Fronius pulse welder, I have used them on alloy and man are they sweat to use. The only thing I didnt know until I got home with the welder was it needed a 20 amp plug. This was a problam because all houses are only 10amp. I had to get a 20 amp switch fitted to the house, no big deal realy.
Stu
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17th April 2008, 08:55 PM #6Novice
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with the trailer make sure you put plenty of drain holes in all the low points and have a hollow draw bar. if you can get the whole thing hot dip galved. also you may need to get trailer brakes, we do in s.a.
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17th April 2008, 11:13 PM #7Intermediate Member
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As for the draw bar, I was going to go with 150 by 50 by 6mm. This should be ample to support the weight. Im going to put a bit triangle shaped checker plate over the draw bar section to lock it all in place. As for gal dipping, Im going to get some prices on that.
Stu
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18th April 2008, 01:16 PM #8New Member
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Hi Stufart,
A pusle Mig would be good but very expensive to purchase. Do you know a rough cost to buy one ?. Have you any close photo of the weld using MIG. I have used Mig to weld on small aluminum project but not very happy with the result. Thanks.
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18th April 2008, 05:05 PM #9Intermediate Member
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I will have to a few for you mate. What thickness are you welding?.
Stu
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18th April 2008, 06:30 PM #10
That size drawbar will be OK, I was wondering when the first pics showed a piece of 50mm sq at the front. When you do fit it, make it extend back past the join of the main chassis rails for 600mm to a metre and then weld in a cross rail at this point. It will give it more strength. Have you decided on what brakes to run? You're going to be close to the limit for requiring breakaway, which is 2000kg GVM, if you can get the trailer around 500kg.
Too many projects, so little time, even less money!Are you a registered member? Why not? click here to register. It's free and only takes 37 seconds! Doing work around the home? Wander over to our sister site, Renovate Forum, for all your renovation queries.
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19th April 2008, 04:37 PM #11Intermediate Member
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Yonnee
That piece of 50mm was just to see if the angles I had drawn where close. I figured the draw bar would need to go back into the frame by about a meter. I was then going to use the same size RHS to use as the cross member. As for the trailer coming in under 500kg, I think Im going to be pushing you know what up hill. I have Al-Ko Axles which need disk brakes for.
Stu
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19th April 2008, 11:31 PM #12
And where do you mount the chickens? I haven't seen them used on a trailer before! Some kind of reversing beeper? Or maybe a depth guage... when they stop squawking,...
Too many projects, so little time, even less money!Are you a registered member? Why not? click here to register. It's free and only takes 37 seconds! Doing work around the home? Wander over to our sister site, Renovate Forum, for all your renovation queries.
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19th April 2008, 11:38 PM #13Intermediate Member
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Great ideas for the chickens mate. It was pooring down all day here so the chickens move in under the shed for protection.
Stu
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19th April 2008, 11:59 PM #14
Sorry...
You say your axles need disc brakes as if you've already got them. If you have, could you post a pic of them so I can see what setup they've put on. You are on the right track with discs for boat trailers. Give Melbourne Trailer & Caravan Supplies a call for a price on their Electric over Hydraulic brake unit. It mounts on the trailer, is a fully legal breakaway system for hydraulic brakes, and is controlled from the tow vehicle by any standard Electric Brake Controller.
The AL-KO version of this, the Sens-A-Brake, only works as a package. The only way to control the trailer part of the Sens-A-Brake is to have the other part fitted to the tow vehicle (part of which is a pressure sensor fitted to the brake pedal).
I don't know about anyone else, but something foreign attached to my brake pedal doesn't fill me with confidence. And my automotive background tells me that pedal pads wear. How expensive is a replacement pedal attachment going to be, if they even sell it separately?
Looking good Stu.
Yonnee.Too many projects, so little time, even less money!Are you a registered member? Why not? click here to register. It's free and only takes 37 seconds! Doing work around the home? Wander over to our sister site, Renovate Forum, for all your renovation queries.
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20th April 2008, 11:02 PM #15Intermediate Member
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I have the Al-Ko axles sitting here at home. They are second hand froma mate and need sand blasting. There in pretty good condition and has only light rust, no real deep stuff. I cant complain as he gave them to me as he was up grading his trailer with new leaf springs. The axles suite are for ford, I think I will ned to replace the brackets that hold the calipers onto the axles. As for the brakes, I very confused about this whole side of the trailering game. I cant see Electric being very good in a salt water environment. I money is getting quite low now so Im getting a bit worried about the breakaway system costing.
Stu
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